New theft from grave of Heidi

Molly and Peter Fuller beside granddaughter Heidi's grave at St John the Baptist Church

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Heidi Fuller, 18, was killed in Guildford in August after a collision with a car. She is buried in the grounds of St John the Baptist Church and her grieving family and friends have come to refer to the grave as Heidi’s Garden after the many flowers that are regularly left in tribute to her. But thieves first struck at the end of last year when silk flowers left by Heidi’s mother Suzy were stolen. During the last two weeks they have struck again, this time taking a glass-fronted casket shaped like a chapel that housed an everlasting candle. The latest theft was discovered by Heidi’s grandmother Molly, 80, who along with Heidi’s grandfather Peter, 82, has been tending the grave since she was buried. Molly said: “It is very hard. We live two doors from the church. “I just like to go down there and see the flowers and see her and have a chat. That’s just my way of being.” She said she was stunned to discover the casket, specially made by a friend of the family, had been taken. Molly added: “I was numb. I thought no one would take anything from a grave. “I kept thinking: Has someone taken it and put it down somewhere else as a prank? But we’ve looked everywhere and it’s not there. “I think they must be sick to do things like that. They must be, mustn’t they?” Heidi’s father Richard, 54 and a civil engineer, said the family could not understand why anyone would steal tributes to his youngest daughter. He said: “We can’t believe people can do that sort of thing especially with all our suffering with the loss of Heidi. It has really upset us.” Heidi, a gifted pianist, violinist and guitar player, was due to begin her second year of study at Guildford Academy of Contemporary Music before she was killed. Richard said music was her passion. He added: “That’s where her future was — with the music. She was very talented. She could write music and the future looked great for her. She was a wonderful young lady with lots of friends.” Heidi’s family is still waiting for her inquest following requests for witnesses to the accident to come forward. More than 350 people attended her funeral at St Dunstan’s Church in Woking and Richard said the numbers spoke volumes about Heidi’s popularity and warmth. He said: “The thing with Heidi was that it didn’t matter who you were, whatever walk of life you came from she would be your friend. “She was so kind and sweet. It has left a massive void in all of our lives.” Gordon Sutton, who helps co-ordinate the maintenance of the churchyard where Heidi is buried, was shocked to hear of the theft. He said: “I’m horrified. I think it’s absolutely terrible. They really ought to have respect. I find it very upsetting.” Rev Andy Armitt, rector for Bisley and West End, said: “This is a very rare occurrence and I am very saddened that people have felt the need to take something from a grave. “If whoever took these items would like to return them anonymously to the rectory or to the grave, they would be very gratefully received.”